Author's note - … if you haven't worked outI don't own the characters by now, there's no helping you.

.

Chapter Twenty

Dreams Revealed

.

"Mystique."

"Clark."

Clark stepped up beside the blue-skinned woman and looked out over the ocean. For several minutes, they simply stood in companiable silence, then Clark spoke.

"I heard you turned down Xavier's invitation."

Mystique sighed, trying to marshal her thoughts. Clark's comment had been just that, a comment. No anger, no disappointment, merely curiosity.

"And you wondered why."

"If you want to tell me, I'll listen." Clark shrugged. "If you don't, the decision is yours and I'll respect it and won't ask again."

A smile tugged at the corners of Mystique's mouth and her yellow eyes glanced sideways, taking in the profile of what was probably the most powerful being on the face of the planet.

And one with the largest heart.

"It's hard to explain and you need to know my history to understand." She said slowly. "My power manifested when I was young, my blue skin and red hair, but my shapechanging skills took a long time to manifest. As a result, I had to hide from everyone. I spent my youth wrapped up like a mummy, excluded from society, rejected by my family… the day I realised I could change my skin colour was the happiest day of my life, it meant that I could truly hide.

"I spent years mastering my power. Learning my limitations and how to work round them. I became a criminal, with a thousand faces I could rob anywhere and literally vanish in seconds. I could walk past those I had robbed and they would never know it was me.

"Yet I still feared what would happen if I slipped and revealed my true self.

"My years with Sabertooth were nice, we were both outcasts. However, our son didn't inherit the X-gene and he left us, blaming us for being what he could not be. Soon after that, Victor and I split.

"Kurt was the result of my fling with Azazel, one of Magneto's allies. Azazel was experimenting with forcing mutations and he used Kurt as a test subject. I found out too late and fled soon after, pausing only to make sure that Kurt was safe with the family that had adopted him."

Clark looked down at Mystique as he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. Leaning against him, she continued.

"When I found Anna, I was at my lowest. She became my reason for living. I took a new name and raised her as best I could. A mutant friend of mine predicted that Anna would become a powerful mutant, and I didn't want her to make the same mistakes I had. And then I was forced away from her by Magneto. Once again, I had to leave.

"I've seen too much pain, Clark. Too much hate, both from others and myself. Xavier's dream is a great dream, one I wish I could believe in, but… even with your help, I don't think it will happen.

"I won't oppose you, I'll help out if I can, but I've been in the heart of the fire for too long, and I'm tired of it. I've seen too much, done too much. I've stolen, threatened, spied and even killed. Xavier dreams of a better world, one I want for Kurt and Anna, but I know, deep in my heart, that there's no place for me in that perfect world."

Clark looked down at her again, seeing her unfocused gaze aimed beyond the horizon.

"Mystique, I believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption. A chance to say 'This is who I wish to become.' You may have done acts that you now regret in the past, but you have also done good. It's because of you that I have such a wonderful sister. How you raised her, how she grew under your care, that tells me that whatever else you have done, there is still hope in you, still goodness.

"All I ask is that you don't throw away the chance to be with your children. You don't have to join our ranks, but don't run away either. If you have doubts, wait and see what happens."

"You sound like a fortune cookie." Mystique commented and Clark managed to choke down his laughter. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small paper bag and handed it over to Mystique. She looked at him, then opened the bag and grinned.

"You bring the nicest gifts." She said, pulling one of the cookies out. "I think I'll probably stick around, just to see what happens, you understand. But I won't stay at Xavier's."

"We seem to have a large cottage that needs a tenant." Clark suggested and Mystique gave a rueful chuckle before swallowing the mouthful of cookie.

"I'll consider it."

Clark nodded and returned his gaze to the horizon. Mystique sighed softly and did the same.

Perhaps, with people like Clark around, Xavier's dream did have a chance.

And maybe, just maybe, there might even be a small place in it even for one like herself.

Maybe.

.

"So you got it?"

Myst nodded and held out a small package. "Yes sir. Full records of every unusual incident in the town of Smallville. May I ask why?"

Magneto took the box and opened it, extracting the memory cards. Looking at it, he moved to his desk and inserted the first card into the computer terminal before replying.

"Some of my agents have been reporting… incidents that bear the hallmarks of our hopefully-deceased enhanced-human adversary Superman. With these records, we can try to find the lab that created Superman, the project that gave him his powers or the incident that made him the man he was."

"And destroy it?" Voght asked curiously. Magneto shook his head.

"And claim it for ourselves. The Evolution Wave will create a utopia for mutants. No more hatred, no more discrimination. But there will be dissidents, as there always are, so we will need to hold the advantage. And if the project that gave a mere human such incredible powers can be claimed by us, can you imagine what it will do for a member of Homo Superior?"

Myst's eyes widened as the realisation hit her. She had been part of the team that had assembled the fragmentary reports about Superman into a coherant whole, and the enhanced human had been on a power level far above most mutants.

And if whatever had given him his powers worked on those with an X-gene…

"…wow."

"Indeed." Magneto smirked. "We already stand far above the ignorant masses, raised by our abilities, our genetic advantages. But if we can acquire the powers of the Superman, we will be able to reach higher still. We are already the next stage of human evolution, with this, we can attain the stage beyond that. Homo Superior Rex."

Myst felt herself marvelling at the passion of Magneto's vision.

His dream would come true, even if she had to sacrifice herself for it.

.

"…no way? You had trouble with your powers as a child too?" Mystique laughed as Clark escorted her into the dining room where one of the legendary Martha Clark lunches was waiting.

"Oh, he did." Martha grinned as Clark made frantic hushing signs. Mystique turned to look at her and she grinned.

"Oh, he always had good control over his strength, but the first time he discovered his heat vision? We lost half a field before it could be put out."

"Mom!" Clark protested as the other occupants of the room started to smile. "You don't have to tell them that!"

"But it's so much fun." Martha twinkled. "Super-breath?"

"I managed to catch Daisy!" Clark protested. "She wasn't hurt at all."

"Daisy?" Evan asked and Martha giggled.

"Family cow, Clark sneezed and sent her flying."

"And for three months, Dad would dive for cover whenever my nose twitched." Clark reminisced.

"Flying." Martha said and Clark blushed. Rogue and Kitty exchanged glances, then leaned forwards to catch Clark's defence.

"That tree was going to fall down in the next storm, anyway."

"Fall, yes. Get sent flying because you were pretending to be a fighter plane? No."

"I managed to get it all cleared away, so it was fine. And the log-pile did need topping up." Clark said, ignoring the sniggering amongst the younger residents and the highly amused expressions of the older ones.

"Cryo-breath."

"What's that?" Mystique asked curiously.

"I can freeze things by breathing on them." Clark explained. "And the kids loved the skating."

"Because normally you can't skate in the middle of summer." Martha smirked. "He froze half the lake. The top half."

"Okay." Clark said firmly. "I suggest that we put this conversation aside for later and enjoy dinner instead."

Martha grinned, but acquiesced gracefully, motioning for Mystique to take a seat with the other adults at the head of the table.

"Back tah school tomorrow." Rogue said softly. "Ah'm looking forwards tah it."

"Ja, unt Amanda vill be happy zat Clark unt you are back." Kurt added, helping himself to some potatoes.

"Speaking of which," Mystique said. "I was hoping I could borrow Clark tomorrow. Mr Franklin's had to leave for a family emergency and I'm having trouble finding a cover for the phys. Ed. Lessons."

"Sure." Clark shrugged. "Any news about the Brotherhood?"

"I think they're at Asteroid M by now." Mystique said. "So they won't be at school."

"Any idea what Mageneto could be planning?" Ororo asked and Mystique shrugged.

"Only that it included a gem of sittak and some green glowing rocks."

Xavier frowned. "Do you mean the Gem of Cyttorak? That is the relic that my half-brother used to become Juggernaut."

Mystique was about to answer in the affirmative when she caught the concerned look that Clark and Martha had swapped. A moment later, Martha spoke.

"The green rocks, slightly heavier than lead, glowing with an odd green aura and looking like giant crystals, albeit fragile ones?"

Mystique nodded and Clark closed his eyes.

"Kryptonite. Damn."

"Colour me clueless." Evan said slowly and Clark looked down at the table.

"It's something I came across in Smallville and it was the bane of my childhood. Kryptonite is an unusual mineral that was created when Krypton exploded. It gives out a form of radiation harmless to most, in small doses at least, but which causes me intense pain. Fortunately, the range is limited. However, I did some research into it before I relocated the Fortress and Kryptonite has some very unusual properties, properties which change as you place more in close proximity. How much did he get?"

Mystique frowned as she sorted through her memory. "Last I heard, about five cubic meters? No, five meters cubed."

Martha and Clark both winced.

"He was using most of it to generate power for his hideout." Mystique added. "About three-quarters, I think."

"Magneto has a a hundred and twenty five cubic meters of Kryptonite." Clark muttered. "Why do I not think that this is going to end well. Even a hand-sized crystal was a real problem."

"If he's using most of it to generate power, though…" Evans offered and Clark shook his head.

"That still leaves over forty cubic meters. That much Kryptonite… and with the Kryptonian… tech…"

Everyone stared at Clark, who slowly looked up from the table with a smirk.

"Magneto took the Kryptonian tech." He said slowly. "The specialised tech optimised for scanning and analysis, the tech with a fold-space datafeed back to the Fortress!"

For several moments, no-one moved, then both Rogue and Martha glanced at each other before smirking as well.

"Kryptonian tech is incredibly advanced." Martha said. "Even Forge has difficulty with it, and he has Clark and Rogue telling him how it works and what it does."

"Magneto may have ah tech wizard," Rogue continued, "But he or she'll be trayin' ta understan' something totahlly new ta them. And since tha datafeed is integrahted into tha central core…"

"They'll probably overlook it, allowing us to hack into their files and find out just what they are planning." Clark finished. "Looks like we may be able to do something after all."

For a moment, the room was silent until Evan spoke.

"And for those of us who don't speak geek, this means?"

"We can find out what my old friend is planning." Xavier said triumphantly.

.

Magneto looked round, catching Myst's attention.

"Something wrong, Lord Magneto?"

Mgneto continued to look round, his expression confused, then he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead.

"Lord Magneto?"

"Just… just a feeling." Magneto said slowly. "For a moment, it felt like something I don't know about is going to become a real problem."

Myst and Chrome exchanged glances, then Magneto leaned forwards again. "So, Chrome, how are you doing with duplicating that superconductor?"